Important NEET Botany Topics List
Biology, one of the NEET subjects, is very popular among all the aspirants because of mainly two reasons. Firstly, students find it interesting and easier to score in, and secondly, it carries maximum weightage in the NEET exam. Biology is a broad subject with two branches Botany and Zoology. Botany, also known as Plant science, phytology, or plant biology, deals with the study of plants whereas Zoology, also known as animal biology, deals with animal study.
In the NEET exam, overall, 45 questions carrying 180 marks are asked from each section, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology. What makes Biology special from Physics, as well as Chemistry, is its weightage. Biology subject carrying a weightage of 360 marks (Botany 180 marks + Zoology 180 marks) and thus very important from exam point of view.
Now, when it comes to preparing for these two sections many medical aspirants find zoology interesting but Botany challenging. As the NEET Botany syllabus comprises topics from both classes 11th and 12th, many aspirants struggle with their NEET preparation in this subject due to the vast syllabus. The aspirant needs to understand that for a competitive medical exam like NEET, one needs to focus on smart study rather than studying hard. For this, it is crucial to know about important topics in Botany. Also, the subject can be intriguing if it is studied in the right way.
So, to help you strategize your preparation for NEET Botany, Biotecnika provides the top 20 important topics that every student must prepare for. NEET Botany Topic List. Also, tips and tricks for preparing for the topics are provided. Important NEET Botany Topics.
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Table of Contents
Living World
It is one of the most basic and simple chapters. It provides insights into the basic concepts of the world of living organisms. Although it carries low weightage, with a maximum of one question usually asked every year, this chapter forms the basis of understanding botany and therefore, is important. To study the living world, follow NCERT thoroughly, go through basic concepts and terms like taxonomic category, taxonomic hierarchy, taxonomical aids, and binomial nomenclature. You can use Mnemonics to remember large information in just one line or phrase, for example, to remember Taxonomic order, you can use Mnemonics “Does King Peter Come Over For Great Salasa” for D: Domain; K: Kingdom; P: Phylum; C: Class; O: Order; F: Family; G: Genus; S: Species. Topics covered in this chapter don’t require much time, you can finish them quickly and accurately.
2) Biological classification
This is one of the easy chapters from NCERT. About 3-4 questions are anticipated from this chapter. So, here you need to study the characteristics of the five kingdoms such as Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Monera. Read about them carefully in detail, and remember all the divisions, their features along with examples.
The best way to remember the characteristics of all the kingdoms is to make proper notes in form of a comparative table, mentioning summarized points of each kingdom, along with their examples. It’s very difficult to remember the examples, so you can make Mnemonics. This will help you learn faster and allow quick revision. Revise frequently, devote 10 minutes daily and you’ll start liking this chapter. You need not refer to any other book, NCERT is enough for these topics.
3) The Plant Kingdom
Plant Kingdom is one of the Important NEET Botany topics. On the basis of the previous year’s exam trends around 3 questions are usually asked in this chapter. Understand the classification of the plant kingdom, make a flowchart and learn it. Read NCERT word by word and underline key points of every phylum with a colored marker/pen. Don’t try to memorize the characteristics of all the phyla in one day, otherwise, you’ll get confused. Make sure that before starting with a new phylum, you revise the previous one.
Once you learn about all the phylum, once a week make sure to revise them all and once you are thorough with the topics, you can revise once a month. Emphasize on general characters of Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms. To learn about Angiosperms and Gymnosperms, the best strategy is to understand the difference between these two by comparing them. You can make some interesting Mnemonics to remember the name of classes or examples. Practice questions using any NCERT-based objective book like MTG Objective NCERT at your fingertips, Trueman’s Objective Biology For NEET (Volume 1 & 2), etc.
4) Morphology of Flowering Plants
Next in the line should be the morphology and anatomy of flowering plants. About 3-4 questions are asked in this chapter. Focus on different modifications of roots, stems, and leaves, along with their examples. The best strategy is to note down all the examples from NCERT in a separate notebook, and revise daily or twice a week. Also, learn different examples one by one, like one day you can study examples of modification of vegetative parts, next day examples of phyllotaxy and so on. Don’t forget to revise the previous topics before starting with a new one. Study inflorescence, floral diagrams along with floral formulas. Best way to remember the floral diagram and formula is to draw and learn it.
5) Anatomy of Flowering Plants
As the name depicts, this topic deals with internal structure as well as the functional organization of higher plants. About 3 questions are asked in this chapter. Study different plant tissues (meristematic, permanent). Learn by drawing all the images of plant tissues, given in NCERT. Start with, keeping the book open and drawing tissue structures by seeing. The next day repeat the same, once you are thorough with the diagram, draw it without referring to a book, this way you will be able to memorize tissues better. Do not miss out on any diagrams/images given in the NCERT textbook. Compare and learn about the characteristics of dicot and monocot roots as well as stems.
6) Cell as Unit of Life
About 3-4 questions (including cell organelle) are usually asked in this chapter. Study the basics of the cell, about cell theory, structure, and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. You can understand as well as learn better by comparing prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and also plant and animal cells. Solve multiple-choice questions (MCQs) based on NCERT to get familiar with the type of questions that can be asked in exams.
7) Cell organelles- Structure & Functions
Read and learn about different cell organelles. Emphasize on structure and function of the cell membrane, endomembrane system (endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus), mitochondria, plastids, ribosomes, cytoskeleton, cilia & flagella, centrosomes, centrioles, nucleus, and chromosomes. Summarize the main points about each organelle in a separate notebook, this will help you in learning faster as well as in quick revision. Practice diagrams for better retention, even you can watch some animated videos on cell structure available on the Internet.
8) Cell cycle and cell division
On average 2 questions are asked in this chapter. Here, you have to learn about different phases of the cell cycle (G1, S, G2, M phase). Study different stages of mitosis as well as meiosis I and its significance. Use Mnemonics to learn in an easy way, for example, you can use the Mnemonic “Go Sunny Go, Make Candy’s” for G1 Phase (Growth Phase 1); S Phase (DNA Synthesis); G2 Phase (Growth Phase 2); M Phase (Mitosis); C Phase (Cytokinesis) of cell cycle or “I Prefer Morning Tea” for I: Interphase; P: Prophase; M: Metaphase; T: Telophase for mitosis stages. Once you are thorough with the above-mentioned topics, you can start off with the next topic that is Plant physiology.
9) Transport in Plants
From this NEET Botany Topic – About 1-2 questions are anticipated. It includes translocation, diffusion, means of transport both active and passive, different potentials, osmosis, plasmolysis, symplastic and apoplastic pathways, the structure of stomata, transpiration, functions of xylem, and phloem and mass flow hypothesis. Read and underline the definition of important terms given in the NCERT textbook, this will help you understand which points to focus more on during revisions of the chapter. Go through the comparative table of different transport mechanisms given in NCERT thoroughly.
10) Mineral Nutrition
About 1-2 questions are expected from this chapter. Need to learn essential mineral elements and their role, deficiency symptoms in plants, the toxicity of micronutrients, absorption mechanism of elements, nitrogen cycle, and nitrogen fixation. Underline all the important points in NCERT using a colored pen or marker. This will help you understand which points to focus more on during revision. You can make Mnemonics to learn micronutrients, macronutrients, and diseases associated with nutrient deficiency. Learn all the steps and fate of ammonia, by making a flowchart. Focus on reactions, reactants, enzymes, microorganisms involved as well as the final product formed in nitrogen fixation.
11) Photosynthesis
The average number of questions asked in this chapter is usually 2. Here, you need to focus on light and dark reactions. The best strategy is to compare and learn about them. Practice the cycles by drawing in a separate notebook. Learn all the reactants, enzymes, or catalysts involved and the products formed. To better understand the light as well as dark reactions, you can refer to video animations available on the Internet. This will also make the topic more interesting as well as easy to memorize for you. Go through all the experiments given in NCERT thoroughly, learn about the photosynthesis site, pigments involved as well as factors affecting this process, know the steps where ATP and NADPH + H+ are used, and study the C4 pathway, and photorespiration. Also, practice as many questions as possible, for this you can refer to the previous year’s question papers or any NCERT-based MCQ book.
12) Respiration in Plants
About 1-2 questions are anticipated from this chapter. Focus on NEET Botany topics such as glycolysis, Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (TCA) or citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, electron transport system, and respiratory quotient. Understand the cycles and pathways well, and learn the enzymes involved in every step and the products formed. Practice by drawing cycles on your own every week. This will help you in remembering the steps of pathways or cycles exactly. Practice as many questions as possible, for this, you can refer to the previous year’s question papers or any NCERT-based MCQ book.
13) Plant growth and development
About 1-2 questions are anticipated from this chapter on the basis of the previous year’s question paper trends. Focus on Plant growth models, growth regulators, as well as inhibitors, and plant hormones. Understand terms like photoperiodism, and vernalization. To learn plant hormones, make notes, specifying key points about different hormones as well as their functions.
14) Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
About 3-4 questions are anticipated from this chapter. Focus more on topics such as gametogenesis, reproductive structures, pollination, double fertilization, post-fertilization event, development of seed, formation of fruit, polyembryony, parthenocarpy, apomixis. To prepare for these topics, go through NCERT thoroughly, and underline important lines. Or you can summarize the main points related to these topics in a separate notebook.
15) Principles of Inheritance and Variation
This is one of the Important NEET Botany Topics About 5-6 questions are anticipated on the basis of the previous year’s question paper trends. Study Mendel’s laws of inheritance, Familiarize with concepts and terminologies such as dihybrid cross, codominance, linkage, pleiotropy, polygenic inheritance, sex determination, genetic disorders, pedigree analysis, mendelian disorders, and chromosomal disorders. Go through all the experiments and understand their outcome. Learn the genotypic and phenotypic ratios of different crosses. Make a flowchart or table to remember the ratios and frequently revise them. You can make your own Mnemonics for fast and easy learning. For example, to learn about different human genetic disorders, you can use “Alka Sick Thi Phenyl Pine Ce” for Alka: Alkaptonuria; Sick: Sickle Cell Anaemia; Th: Thalassemia; Phenyl: Phenylketonuria; C: Cystic Fibrosis
16) Strategies for enhancement in food production
On average, the number of questions expected from this chapter is 2-3. Learn about strategies that are used for food production. Study about animal husbandry, bee-keeping, and single-cell protein. Underline the important points given in NCERT using a colored marker/pen. You can make a flowchart to learn about types of animal breeding and the steps of plant breeding. Remember the methods of plant breeding for developing improved food quality, disease resistance as well as Insect pest resistance. Also, go through and learn the terms associated with tissue cultures like totipotency, micropropagation, and somatic hybridization. Go through all the tables given in this chapter in NCERT thoroughly.
17) Organisms and Populations
On average, the number of questions expected from this chapter is 2. From this important NEET botany topic – Many why-based questions are framed from NCERT like why night-blooming flowers are white, cactus have thorns, etc. Understand the biome distribution graph thoroughly, as in the exam we can expect the graph and you may be asked to label it. Learn scientist name “Ramdeo Misra”, abiotic factors and response to them, precipitation (rain and snow), conformers, regulators, suspension, migration, and adaptation. Focus on the population growth curve, here you need to emphasize formulae so that you can choose the right one from incorrect ones if asked in the exam. Remember abbreviations such as “k” indicates carrying capacity. Study about growth models. Compare and learn about exponential and logistic growth as well as different types of population interactions.
Remember terms like Emigration, Immigration, Mortality, and Natality. For easy memorization, you can remember the interaction in pairs like Mutualism and Competition, Parasitism and Predation, Ammensalism, and Commensalism. You can make a comparative table and learn.
Important NEET Botany Topic List
18) Ecosystem
About 2-3 questions are usually asked from this chapter. Remember the names of ecosystem components, like productivity, energy flow, decomposition, and nutrient cycling. Learn formulae, definitions as well as units of terms related to productivity. Compare and learn about different decomposition steps. Study ecological pyramid, remember the diagram and step involved in succession, biogeochemical cycles, emphasize on phosphorus cycle, it may be asked. Remember the price tags on various life-supporting services of nature by Robert Constanza, for example for soil formation it is 50%; for nutrient cycling as well as recreation it is less than 10% each, and many more.
19) Biodiversity and Conservation
About 2-3 questions are asked in this chapter. Study different types of biodiversity (Genetics, Species, Ecological), causes of biodiversity loss, and their conservation strategies. Note down all the statistics like the number of rice strains: 50,000; Mango varieties: 1,000 in India. Emphasize graphs showing the species-area relationship. Remember scientists name Alexander von Humboldt as well his work, terms like “rectangular hyperbola”, Evil quartet, and range of Z values. Focus on both in-situ and ex-situ conservation methods as the chances of getting questions from this portion are more.
20) Environment Issues
About 3 questions are asked in this chapter. In this chapter, you need to stay updated with recent environmental issues (like air pollution, water pollution, solid waste, radioactive waste, and Agrochemicals) and efforts made to eliminate them. Learn about mass emission standards as well as Bharat’s various stags. Prepare a list of all environment acts along with their implementation dates, for example, the Air act (1981), this will help you in learning faster as well as allow quick revision. Practice and learn the diagram of the Electrostatic precipitator as well as a scrubber. Also, understand and learn the terms like Eutrophication, and Biomagnification, as they can be asked in exams. Emphasize Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), and learn its graph as well. Also, study about various greenhouse gases, percentage coefficient, global warming, list of Protocols, summits related to the protection of the environment and depletion of the ozone layer. All the case studies given in NCERT need to be studied thoroughly.
So here are the Top 20 Important NEET Botany Topics.
Some general strategies to be followed for covering each topic are listed below:
1) Follow NCERT strictly.
2) Read each line carefully as maximum questions in NEET are asked from NCERT only. Read the chapter not less than 2-3 times.
3) Understand and learn the basic botany terms and concepts.
4) Follow the sequence as given in the NCERT book for learning the important topics. NCERT books are well organized and cover the topics in sequence from basics to complex.
5) Practice and learn all the botany diagrams given in NCERT.
6) Don’t forget to study the summary given at the end of each chapter in NCERT.
7) Make notes on your own while reading chapters in form of flowcharts, comparative tables, diagrams, etc.
8) Use smart revision tools like flashcards, and mind-maps to learn faster and memorize. You can create Mnemonics for various topics for smart study.
9) Go through all the questions given in NCERT at the end of the chapter.
10) You can also Practice questions by solving previous year’s papers, this will acquaint you with the type of questions asked in the exam. You can also refer to the reference books like MTG Objective NCERT at your fingertips, Trueman’s Objective Biology For NEET (Volume 1 & 2), etc.
11) There are several mock tests available online, you can evaluate your preparation as well as your performance by giving mock tests.
12) Always seek help in case of doubt. You can take the help of your botany teacher at the school or coaching institute.
13) Clear your doubts on a regular basis for uninterrupted study, don’t pile them up.
14) Revise Frequently.
15) To make your learning faster and easier, you can always take the help of any online NEET course that provides video lectures, and help you better understand the topic. You can always refer to Youtube for the same.
It is crucial to have comprehensive knowledge of Biology before becoming a doctor. Learning in-depth Botany helps you score good marks in the NEET exam and in turn, helps you achieve your goal.
Happy Studying!
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